After a dominant first half, Arizona State nearly squandered an exceptional lead in a 30-23 win over Mississippi State on Saturday.
The Sun Devils led 27-3 at halftime, outpacing Mississippi State in every offensive category before seemingly losing touch in the second half.
“Even though it probably lost three months off my life, our team needed that. We needed to get hit in the face,” Arizona State head coach Kenny Dillingham said. “For us to get hit back in the mouth and then have to get up, that’s what I was proud of. And we got up with a vengeance.”
Mississippi State recorded 13 unanswered points to open the fourth quarter, shrinking the Sun Devils’ lead to just seven points on an 80-yard touchdown reception from Kevin Coleman Jr. with 5:27 left in the 4th quarter.
However, Arizona State running back Cam Skattebo — who had a stellar performance throughout — made a crucial 39-yard rush coming out of the 2:00 timeout and halted a Mississippi State comeback, solidifying the win and improving the Sun Devils to 2-0 for the first time since 2021.
The run that sealed it for ASU and put Cam Skattebo into second place for rushing yards in a single game by a Sun Devil.
Watch Skattebo’s postgame interview: https://t.co/umCatTyQKr pic.twitter.com/yxf3Y95w88
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 8, 2024
“Me and the O-line had a talk on the sideline (before the drive), and I didn’t think going into that anyone was gonna stop us no matter who it was,” Skattebo said. “I put my belief in those guys, they know I’m gonna do my job behind them and they made a beautiful hole.”
Skattebo has himself a day
Arizona State once again put its run game on display in its win over Mississippi State.
Skattebo led the way, recording 262 rushing yards, the second-highest single-game total in ASU history. He also had three catches for 35 yards en route to the team’s first-ever victory against an SEC opponent. The Sun Devils totaled 346 rushing yards as opposed to Mississippi State’s 24.
“They couldn’t stop us in that three-down front. We all felt disrespected with them in a three-down front,” Skattebo said. “You can’t come in here, put five men in the box and expect to stop six.”
A week after he showed off his arm, ASU quarterback Sam Leavitt showed off his legs with 68 yards on 11 carries. He scored two touchdowns on the ground and finished 10-for-20 with 69 yards in the air.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt’s legs give Arizona State an early 7-0 lead vs. Mississippi State. pic.twitter.com/jsGZYDMtrn
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 8, 2024
In two games this season, Arizona State outgained their opponents in rushing yards 587 to 64, a testament to the team’s overall physicality and ability to be flexible on offense.
At halftime, the Sun Devils recorded 208 rushing yards while holding Mississippi State to -13 rushing yards.
Defense steps up with another touchdown
After scoring two defensive touchdowns in Week 1 against Wyoming, the Sun Devils added one more to their season total with a C.J. Fite 1-yard fumble return touchdown in the second quarter against Mississippi State.
Fite, a true sophomore defensive lineman, used his body to block the ball from running out of bounds, recovered the ball and ran it in.
A couple of highlights from Arizona State’s dominant first half against Mississippi State. pic.twitter.com/dKQEH35jL8
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) September 8, 2024
“In practice, we set a standard on defense: any time the ball comes out, go pick it up,” Fite said. “So I saw the ball, I went and got it.”
The defense finished with three sacks alongside seven tackles for a loss.
The Sun Devils’ next task is on short rest as they take on Texas State on Thursday, looking to start 3-0 for the first time since 2019.
